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Could Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake Be Next Video Stars?

American Greetings Taps Tongal to Crowdsource Creative for '80s Icons

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American Greetings Properties has paired up with video crowd-sourcing platform Tongal to get parents excited about Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake – oh, and kids too.

Tongal is challenging its creative community to come up with fun and colorful videos that will celebrate each of the iconic '80s franchises that now have their own Twitter and Instagram accounts. There will be three winners for each brand, with first-place video winners earning $15,000.

"Tongal seemed like the perfect community to tap into with a big range of ideas and people who might already have an emotional attachment to our brands," said Janice Ross, VP-brand marketing and public relations at American Greetings Properties.

James De Julio, founder and president of Tongal, said the enthusiasm already existing around the two brands makes it easier for creators to share ideas and pitch videos to American Greetings Properties. "We can leverage those communities, and that transparency creates really great content," he said. Tongal has recently worked with other brands to create nostalgic videos, including one to highlight popular kids drink Kool-Aid and another to celebrate Miller Lite's retro can design.

The content marketing videos will run on social-media platforms including YouTube leading up to the holiday season to promote Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake toys, DVDs, and apps. But the videos are also intended to stir up nostalgia in parents who grew up with the more than 30-year-old brands.

By reminding adults what they loved about these brands as kids, American Greetings Properties hopes parents can pass along these feelings to their own children. "Our brands, what they stand for and brand attributes, are tried and true. The opportunity here is to make that emotional connection to the next generation of kids," said Ms. Ross.